Easy Thai Chicken
So sticky, so tender, so moist and just packed with so much flavor. And it’s an easy peasy weeknight meal, made in 30 min or less!
As a food blogger, there is always a ton of “work food” that needs to be consumed in a timely manner, especially when it’s just the two of us humans and two baby corgis. And since I make a ton of chicken recipes, well, there’s just a lot of leftover chicken in my fridge.
So when my husband asks what’s for dinner and I say, “Chicken, as usual,” he replies with, “How many different ways can you make chicken?”
Shortly after that response, he devoured these sweet and sticky Thai chicken thighs in seconds without taking a second to look up. He never complained about another chicken dinner after this.
Easy Thai Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ¼ cup peanuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the sauce
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- To make the sauce, whisk together chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and Sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.
- Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stir in chili sauce mixture.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
- Serve immediately, garnished with peanuts and cilantro, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Plan on trying this next week but I have a question. You said, your “husband”. Did I miss something? Did you guys already get married? If so, congratulations! Jason is one lucky man! Love your site and recipes BTW. Thank you!
Yes! We got hitched back in March 🙂
Just made this for dinner- so simple and delicious! LOVED the sauce.
I absolutely LOVE your recipes. I can not wait to purchase your cookbook! You have made dinner a success at my home every night. Thank You!
Are you like Peyton Mannings Mom???
Everything I have made from you has been delicious! We love Thai, so I am excited to try this out. Quick question: the chicken will be put in the oven skin side up?
The chicken should be placed skin side up.
I want to make this tonight but I have boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Think that will work?
Yes, absolutely.
There is anchovy in Worcestershire sauce.
What kind of fish is used for fish sauce normally? I cannot have certain types of fish so I wondered if there would be a substitute that would work as well. It looks YUMMY!
Cindy D, here is a great article on how fish sauce is made.
Worcestershire sauce makes a great sub for the fish sauce
No, it doesn’t. Worcestershire is a completely different ingredient with a completely different taste.
Worcestershire is nothing like fish sauce. You would ruin the dish if you used it.
No, the dish isn’t ruined, it really does taste very good. I used it as a sub all of the time. I’ve also tried fish sauce, so yes am familiar. To each their own, but don’t judge. This recipe is very good!
Even if it were a good substitute, Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so might not be appropriate!
I absolutely LOVE your blog!!! Anyhow, do you have a favorite brand of sweet chili sauce? I live in an area of Boston with a ton of Vietnamese markets. I’ve got everything but the sweet chili sauce in my fridge or pantry 🙂 I’d be keen to make this over the weekend. What would you serve as a side?
I particularly love Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce but you can really use any brand. As for sides, brown rice or even quinoa would complement this dish very well!
I made his last night! LOVED it! I served it with sautéed bok choy with sesame oil, garlic and ginger! I probably added a bit more Sriracha as we love our heat…even the kid does! Oh, and I bought the Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce
Tonight I’m making your One Pan Lemon Herb Salmon! Thanks for this amazing blog with such tasty and easy recipes for a working mom that wants to feed her family well!
I have a really silly question…
What does ‘fish sauce’ taste like?
Shauna, fish sauce does not have the most pleasant smell but it does add a great depth of flavor to Asian dishes such as this.
Yeah, I’d agree. It’s like the Thai version of soy sauce; it adds saltiness. At the Asian stores it comes in large bottles but it lasts forever!
Do you have to start on the stovetop or can you just start and finish in the oven and still have crispy chicken?
I recommend starting on the stovetop for the best results possible.
I did mine on the grill yummy
A decent sub for fish sauce is Worcestershire sauce
Absolutely not totally different not even close.
Not even close to fish sauce!
Yep, totally agree – it is a great sub for fish sauce, I’ve used it for the past couple of years once I was told. Worcestershire Sauce has anchovies – used in small quantities, it brings out the depth as well! If you have not tried it, don’t judge. : )
BTW – this is a great recipe – served over Rice Noodles. Yummm!
I agree – worchester provides the sodium component – most home chefs don’t have these types of ingredients on hand to whip up a great meal- being a chef – we know how to sub ingredients to get the desired result quickly and use what we have on hand
It’s fine to sub….I do it all the time. But Worcestchester sause is NOT anything like fish sauce. I am sure it is still good, but not the same.
Chef taiki Goodman here yes fish sauce is very powerful but you are just a little with all the other ingredients and it’s fantastic
The manager at the Asian grocery store came out of his prized perch, where they sell Lottery tickets, to take me back over to the Fish Sauce aisle & tell me, I don’t know what they use this for, “nobody ever buys it, ” as he put the jar with chucks of fish in the sauce back on the shelf. He then picked another bottle, it was liquid no solid pieces in it, as he shoved it into my grateful hand. I’d been praying for some help. Then I read up on Fish Sauce & nobody mentioned the chunky stuff, so I didn’t use it again. However the dish I had used it i
n was wonderful. The smell was not, but it really gives the food a great taste.
It Dosent add a fishy flavor to your food if that’s what your concerned about.
Looks like another perfect chicken dish! Chicken is lucky because it is so versatile, it is always on the menu!
Chicken thighs are my favorite. I will be making this recipe tonight. I love it when recipes are easy and taste fantastic.
I used to think the only chicken I wanted was like KFC but now I want chicken like this.
I wouldn’t be complaining either. This looks so delicious, I could eat it right now, for breakfast.:)